#i somehow understand where they come from but i know it does not justify their bs and gives them no right to treat me as they do

[like-butterflies-and-glitter]

vent in the tags dni

[writingwithcolor]

Diversity Win: Is "Crazy Rich" POC Representation Necessarily Empowering?

sodapopsculptor asked:

I’m writing a story with two sets of protagonists: A trio with a Black girl, a Latino, and a Vietnamese-American boy who all come from middle-upper class to ridiculously rich families, and a pair of white working-middle class sisters. They’re all heroes of this story. I’ve seen way too many rich white people and poor poc people in fiction, and I’m kinda getting sick of it, but I’m worried that by having the poc kids be rich and the white girls not so much, I’ll be reinforcing the idea that poc somehow rule the world. The only time the rich kids use their status as leverage is when the Asian threatens to sic his cop dad on a bully (race unstated but I imagined him as white) picking on a freshman, and during the Black girl’s birthday party, when she pays the biggest jock there fifty bucks (And later says offhandedly that it was just what she had in her pocket) to chase off a creep hitting on her.

OP, have you ever seen the “diversity win!” meme before?

I understand that your motivation for these narrative choices is to give POC a chance, if you will, to be the rich characters. But it is evident from this ask that you have not asked yourself what this entails. I want to ask you to critically examine the race and class intersections you’re creating here, as well as these kids’ roles in oppressive systems.

You explain that these rich POC are heroes and only have righteous reasons for leveraging their power.

But is your Black girl character aware of the potential disciplinary and/or legal consequences her jock accomplice might face while she has the resources to keep her hands clean? Are you?

Is your Asian character aware of how much of an abuse of power it is to “sic” a cop on someone, and the sheer amount of harm a criminal record or incarceration does to a juvenile with behavior issues? Are you?

So you want to put POC in positions of power for #representation.

Does it resonate with the group you’re representing?

Do you research and portray the unique ways race, ethnicity, class, and majority vs. minority status come together?

Or are you putting these characters in oppressive hegemonic roles for the sake of a power fantasy, on behalf of a group you're not even in?

To your question, you're not reinforcing the idea that "POC rule the world" because such a generalized belief does not exist. Instead, you're reinforcing:

The idea that society has “winners” and “losers.”

The idea that the problem with disproportionately powerful people is the lack of “equal opportunity” as opposed to the power imbalance to begin with.

The idea that those in oppressive positions of power need only have the right intentions to justify their use of it.

To be clear: that is not to say that you can't have jerk aristocrat billionaire millionaire crazy rich POC. Evil or mean rich characters are fun! I have some myself! You can even have rich characters who are gentle-hearted and well-intentioned, but you have to know the ways in which they’re privileged and decide how aware of that your characters are. That’s no problem.

But if you think that wealthy and powerful POC would have the same values and priorities as their poorer counterparts, you’re deluding yourself. There’s a reason why the quote “power corrupts” exists. There’s a reason why no matter where you look on the globe, there are historical dictators and tyrants.

If you want bratty rich POC who lack regard for the consequences of their actions, because you want bratty rich characters, great! If you want them because it would be uplifting or empowering representation? You’re doing it for the wrong reason.

~ Rina

I fully agree with Rina, and truly want to emphasize the last paragraph.

If you want bratty rich POC who lack regard for the consequences of their actions, because you want bratty rich characters, great! If you want them because it would be uplifting or empowering representation? You’re doing it for the wrong reason.

I don't think you need to aim to subvert or purposely make all the BIPOC rich and powerful and the white people poor and suffering. Add diversity and include upper class rich and class privileged BIPOC, sure thing! And you can avoid your fears of intentional subversion message by including rich and powerful white characters as well, even if they're not the focus of your story. Just their existence helps. You could also include middle-class characters of Color as well.

More reading: Black in upper-class society

~Mod Colette

[verysium]

need more of your sae for scientific reasons. very important

here you go lovely:

sae has zero taste in fashion unfortunately. if it covers his body and does not get in the way of football, then it works for him. that's also the reason why he accepts christmas sweaters with the most atrocious color combinations. he genuinely doesn't know that they're ugly (and also doesn't want to upset his mother and elderly aunties.) still has a pair of bright turquoise swim trunks from when he was a preteen with "i ♡ seagulls" printed all over them. he never threw them out and still wears them on summer trips. did not understand why half the beachgoers were side-eyeing him.

sae cannot comprehend internet slang. if you send him any acronym, he will read it out loud in the literal sense. would flick you on the forehead if you said he was becoming too millennial. he was born in the 2000s but cannot relate to anyone in the same generation.

sae would adopt a cat, but it would be a reverse adoption. the cat would choose him and not the other way around. he would not bother with it other than the required feeding and grooming. tried to play with it once, but it hissed and scratched at him. both of them just exist simultaneously in the same residence. sometimes the kitty jumps on his bed at midnight in order to cuddle. he would also name it something like "neko" or "el gato" or literally "the cat" because he is so unoriginal.

sae gives himself the whole patrick bateman monologue every morning when he does his skincare routine. he peels his face mask off in slow motion too. when you pointed out the similarities, he got mildly upset because he does not like being compared to anyone.

sae secretly hates the fact that rin is taller than him. he thinks about it a lot when he sees the family photos. sometimes wishes he grew just a little more during puberty. that way he would be taller than 180 cm.

sae cannot sing for the life of him. but if you are sick or having nightmares, he will hum you the lullaby his mother used to sing for him. gets shy when you compliment his voice, but his emotions do not manifest physically on his facial features. sometimes when he thinks you're finally asleep in his lap, he will brush your hair back and kiss your forehead.

sae sometimes feels a stirring in his chest whenever he spots a child in the park or an old couple on the benches near the boardwalk. he left for spain at a young age, so he inevitably gets the feeling that his childhood was stolen from him. if he ever matured to the point where he could see beyond his own ambitions, he would want to start a family.

sae loves it when he comes home from practice and sees you dancing around in the kitchen. he will watch silently as you prance around with a spatula and belt out the lyrics. sometimes he just wants to capture the moment and tuck it into his breast pocket and treasure it forever.

sae feels touched when you actually listen to what he says. because he is a man of few words, he usually has to be the one who listens, digests information, and offers sound advice. however, if you grant him the time of day to hear him out or gift him something that he once mentioned off-hand, he will feel strange tingles of the emotion he tries so desperately to deny.

sae is a skeptic. no scam, ploy, or false pretense will ever make it past him. he despises people-pleasers and does not understand why he has to conform to other people's standards. will not trust news outlets unless he personally was there as an eyewitness account or there is sufficient research backing up the claims.

sae is rather extreme when it comes to getting hurt. it is all or nothing with him. if he feels like you somehow penetrated through his walls and hurt him even in the slightest way, he will make the situation worse by hurting you back tenfold. usually he tries to justify pushing you away, and that just ends up driving him even further from you. tbh he really needs to work on his communication skills. rather than shutting down after an issue arises, he has to learn to put his own opinions aside and hear out the other party.

sae gets bored easily, but he is hesitant to try out new things in fear of not being immediately good at them. as the eldest child of his family and a hailed prodigy in his nation, there is the expectation that he must naturally excel at everything to set a good example. football is where he first found his talent and where he feels the most comfortable even if it isn't as inspiring and exciting as it once was. unfortunately, it leads to the onset of burnt-out-gifted-kid syndrome. that's also why he is seeking out a strong striker who can meet his demands and generate the impossible plays he is looking for. essentially sae needs someone to rekindle his original love for the sport.

sae gets defensive when he lets other people down, except this isn't immediately apparent. usually you would have to read between the lines with him. he bases his self-worth off both his own ambitions and the people close to him. if he disappoints someone important to him, he will be stuck in this sinkhole of internal turmoil. that's also why he lashes out at rin when rin reminds him of their shared dream he gave up on. he doesn't like his mistakes being pointed out, much less when his stoic image crumbles. he might also push you away and try to convince himself that you aren't worth that much to him in order to lessen his guilt.

sae needs someone highly intuitive and patient in his life. you need to be able to understand his emotions intrinsically because even he cannot grasp his own feelings. you also need to teach him how to connect himself with the outside world. because sae has primarily fended for himself ever since he was born, you have to convince him that it is okay to rely on others. his mentality is that if he reaches the top, no one will be able to touch him, much less hurt him. however, he sometimes fails to see how that simultaneously isolates himself from others.

sae is relatively straightforward when it comes to getting what he wants. if he somehow miraculously realizes and comes to terms with the fact that he loves you, he will confess it directly to your face. "date me or don't." it's not even a question. it's a factual statement.

sae is not as emotionally mature as the rest of the fandom makes him out to be. just because he does not show emotions in a traditional sense doesn't mean he necessarily has better control or understanding over them. for example, he gets jealous but would not know that the emotion he is feeling is actually called jealousy. rather than tease him about it, i think he would sincerely appreciate if you reassured him both verbally and physically through your actions. he is a man who relies on substance, so you need to prove that you'll be the one who stays with him through thick and thin.

sae oscillates between caring too little about others and caring too much. on one hand, he is more than willing to drop someone or something if his end goal has already been met. the ends always justify the means in his mind. however, he also feels doubt and uncertainty at times. like rin said, he hates losing. he objects to the blue lock program at first largely because he doesn't like the idea of a newcomer. he's already written off japan as a substandard country for football, so the idea of it being changed essentially challenges him directly. but again, this is a delicate line of balance. he is alright when it comes to being challenged mentally in football and seeking out a creative out-of-box solution. for instance, he is more than willing to accept rin's progress, shidou's unpredictability, and isagi's breakthrough talent. however, he is not okay with having his preconceptions destroyed as evidenced by his disillusionment in spain.

sae and ego would actually get along pretty well because they both have this one-track mind when it comes to football. players are reduced to numbers and metrics, and everything is evaluated as an advantage or disadvantage. ego is also ruthless when it comes to the elimination of the weak, and sae wouldn't disagree with that.

sae sometimes wakes up on the weekends and sees you in his bed, the sunlight raining down on your face. it is in this sort of domesticity that he wonders what life would be like if he wasn't a football prodigy. he craves normality not in the sense that he wants to be like everyone else but rather the idea that he needs to feel some sort of attachment or sense of belonging between you two. he could care less about the rest of the world but so long as you accept him, he would feel validated.

sae gives you free reign over his heart when he finally gives out and you're still there to pick him up. in his mind, he is worth nothing if he fails. if you're still there to reassure him and put him back together, he will first look at you like you're stupid for even wanting to stay with him. but once he realizes you stay only because you love him, you have his unconditional commitment. he would put a ring on your finger right then and there.

lmao that was long but that concludes my psychoanalysis on sae. hope that cures your insatiable need.

[hotpinkstars]

-> hospital beds and romaritime flowers

synopsis -> after getting pummeled by a ruin gaurd, your girlfriend, furina, pays you a little visit.

warnings -> bone breaks, mentions of injuries, hospitalization, reader does have a vision, mostly fluffy

w/c -> 1.2k

it’s around 6:00 PM at night when you hear footsteps coming down the hallway to your assigned room. they sounded rushed. you could only imagine it was your girlfriend, considering she called ahead of time to tell you of her visit. 

“what did you even do??” furina frantically makes a halt at your doorway, immediately clearing her throat, changing to a calm and semi-carefree tone. “i-i mean… why are you here?” 

you sighed, showing her what the scans said. you were lying in your hospital bed, due to an injury from a mission the traveler asked of you. it was more like a mini favor, but somehow you got hurt. the scans showed a fracture in the spine, and a bone break in your tibia. 

“how did you do that? you have a vision, so unless you fell from, like, the palais mermonia-” you cut furina off, shaking your head due to the fuss she was making. your body felt 50 times more sensitive, and your head was pounding. noise in general seemed to piss you off even more at this point. 

“no, furina, i did not fall from that. that would be death.” you giggled slightly, toying lightly with the tube that attached your IV to the IV pole. you looked up at the fluid bags hanging over you, and then back down at the IV in your hand. “i did the traveler and paimon a slight favor, and underestimated the strength of a ruin guard. thats all..” 

furina rested her shoulders, finding no more need to be tense. yes, a spinal and tibial injury is horrible, but at least you’re alive. she sees you trying to tilt your head, realizing your pain, and then putting her head down, looking at her feet and then at the flowers she discarded on the back counter by where the curtain closes. she slowly inches back and grabs them, putting them on your bedside table. you smile, moving your hands to signal that you want them to be put on your lap. 

she cautiously puts them in your grip, allowing you to get a better look at them. Once you see them, you smile widely before gripping her hand. 

“my favorites,” you whisper, before having furina help you bring them to your nose to smell them. you exhale before slowly setting them down on the counter, bringing her hands in yours once more. “thank you, mon cheri.” 

furina can sense a slight blush forming on her cheeks, and she is quick to laugh a little bit. 

“ah, you know it’s no issue, i was just out and i saw them, that's all… and i got them because i know they’re your favs, obviously!” she continued to giggle, bringing a smile to your face. you were too tired to tease her further, the urge to tell her that there was certainly another reason than just coming upon them. you could only assume she panicked, and wanted to make you feel better with your favorites- a bouquet of romaritime flowers. 

“you don’t have to justify yourself, dear. i understand your intentions.” you smiled. you didn’t know if she smiled back or if you hit a playful nerve by pointing out that what she said was a cover up to what she truly did it for. 

“well, i told you my intentions! they were only because i found them. if i didn’t come across these, i would’ve gotten you something different.” she went into a coughing fit, likely choking on her spit, making you laugh a little bit. 

“h- cough hey! Don’t- cough laugh!” her flustered and slightly embarrassed look made you laugh even harder- or at least as hard as you could without triggering some pain. she turned away, pretending to drink a small cup of water she poured from the sink, but instead smiling. 

“can you sit with me?” she heard you whisper, and after she gulped down the last sip of water, she twirled over to your bed, plopping down on it almost perfectly, without hitting you at all. you giggled a little more, seemingly impressed with what she just did. 

“i wish i could do that. this bed hurts my tailbone… people weren’t kidding when they said these cots feel like sleeping against a brick wall with a weird gravitational pull. i wanna leave.” you sighed, wishing you could go back to normal, where in any instance like this you’d teasingly let your head fall onto furinas shoulder or lap to spike a reaction.

“i want you to leave too. whatever shall i do without my y/n unable to assist me at work?” she laughed, making you smile before locking eyes with her. you always admired her eyes- the one shined a beautiful blue, like the fontainian ocean in the midst of the night, and the other looked like the shimmering blue sky mixed with white, fluffy clouds. 

“you’ll live for a little while..” you smiled even brighter. “it’s not like i’m in hospice and it’s my last days alive. if that were the case, then this situation would certainly be a lot different.” 

furina nods, looking at the nurse entering the room to check how your back and leg is doing, and giving you more information on what day and time your surgeries will be taking place. 

“well, good news is, we only have to replace one spinal disk. but the bad news is, we’re gonna have to do a full tibia repair. the spinal one will happen in a few hours from now, and the tibia one will be sometime tomorrow afternoon. i just need your spouse to sign these papers, understanding that she likely knows of your medicinal history and if you’ve had any other significant injuries or surgeries in the past,” the nurse gave furina the clipboard and a pen before sitting down on a hospital stool, rolling it towards you before slightly turning your head to face her. “is this position okay, or would you like me to turn you?” 

you thought for a moment, and then nodded. “please turn me, but nothing too significant. i just need relief to my tailbone.” 

the nurse nods and slowly but surely turns you to a more comfortable position, redoing your pillow arrangement and adjusting the back brace before focusing on your legs. after she turns your legs, she walks out, putting the call remote back up by you.

at this time, furina was almost done signing the medical papers. she just had one more to go, occasionally asking you questions she didn’t have too much background information on, and then signing off her name at the end of each. you looked out your window, being able to see the center of the city, and smiling at the bright lights contrasting the darkness of teyvat. 

she leaves the papers on your side table, seeing the visiting hours were almost up. she couldn’t believe how fast time went- she got there at 6, and now it’s 8:30. 

“i have to leave now, but i promise i’ll be back tomorrow, my love,” furina giggled, getting up and walking with a little pep in her step over to where your head is. “sleep as well as you can. i know you’ve got a surgery coming up pretty soon, but try to sleep until the anesthesia guy comes in. everyone needs their beauty sleep, hospital or not!” she kissed you on the lips.

“bye y/n! i’ll be back soon!”

you said a bye back, slightly waving, before drifting off into a rather uncomfortable sleep.

[incarnadinedreams]

Hot Take Time #2309209 (edit: actually this isn't a hot take it's lukewarm at best. it's a room temperature take) but I really don't understand the argument "mo dao and gui dao are different and therefore everything WWX does is completely fine!"

Like, yes, it's a difference that plays into the public discourse vs. real truth themes of the novel to a degree, and I of course absolutely appreciate all the explanations and meta around the nuances and differences. But like. What he actually does with it is... still not good whether it's mo dao or gui dao? And there are many very significant reasons that gui dao is still not great? (Which I won't get into here because there are other people far more qualified with cultural/genre knowledge who have written about it way better than I ever could anyway)

Like y'know. The several hundred people he tortured to death, the thousands of desecrated graves, the mini-harem of pet zombie girls he kept after the war for purely entertainment purposes...? Like, those behaviors aren't inherent to the method (well, except the method sort of uniquely facilitating the keeping of pet ghosts), but they're not... good...? (Note: 'morally good' is completely different than 'fun & sexy, having a great time torture-bonding with shidi, etc'.)

I just cannot agree that keeping a little harem of pet ghost girls nor anything that happened with the Wens is being "gentle with the dead, empathetic and respectful". Even WWX thinks his past self was kinda cringe with it and went way too far!

I do think there's meant to be a significant amount of ambiguity about what elements of his downward spiral are caused by the corrosive nature of his method vs. the trauma of the Burial Mounds and his own, internal, homebrewed mental crisis. The alcoholism, rapidly shifting moods, anger and inability to control his temper, before and after the war. How much of it is Wei Wuxian and how much of it is the impact of the resentful energy he's using, and the use/proximity of the Yin Hu Fu?

I do think there's a reason why there's just as much brutality carried out by characters using orthodox cultivation methods. But in the end, his behavior was a problem, and the novel hints that the methods were impacting his mental state, and it was overlooked because of his usefulness to the war effort, but it did significantly damage his credibility leading up to the parts where he is in the right, which is also part of the point of the story. And you know. The subject of Jiang Cheng's whole 'the flower that blooms alone' monologue in the cave.

Anyway. 'He's using gui dao not mo dao and there's a difference' is super not the same thing as 'Wei Wuxian is morally justified in every action'?

Anyway this book is a lot more fun to me when you approach it from 'look what absolutely insane things these boys will do when they go absolutely feral for each other, it's so cool' with a side of 'look how fucked up he is now, that's hot' and not, like, trying to somehow figure out how to make pet ghost girls into a moral ideal.

So much of the story, for me, is about what desperate, wild lengths a person will go to for survival and revenge when pushed, and then what do you do after? When the danger is past and the revenge is done, what then? How do you come back from that?

[matan4il]

do you think irans attack this past weekend was a test? a dip of the toe, if you will, to assess potential future plan viability?

can’t shake the thought unfortunately

Hi lovely, sorry it's taken me a moment to reply! I think you're justified in thinking this way, because when the top military experts all did not foresee Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel coming, we all have to take their threats very seriously.

That said, I personally find it hard to believe that Iran will make its "big move" before it has a nuclear weapon. Israel (supposedly) has nuclear weapons, and also has (again, supposedly) some of them loaded unto nuclear submarines. Why the submarines? Because those are hard to locate, which means that even if an enemy thinks they can somehow exterminate Israel with one decisive strike, they'll still pay the price of Israel's retaliation, launched from those submarines. And THAT is a serious deterrent. So if Iran wants to destroy Israel and live to tell the tale, it needs at the very least its own nuclear weapon, and a plan on how to stop Israel's nuclear submarines from striking back.

Iran is def not in a place where it thinks it can avoid Israel's retaliation (at least not yet). How do I know? Because of the money they invest in Hezbollah. More than any of the other terrorist organizations it funds, the Iranian regime arms, trains and prepares Hezbollah to be its main extension during an all out war with Israel. Hezbollah is believed to be at least ten times stronger than Hamas, at least in terms of manpower and number of rockets, and Iran was still reluctant to add its power to that of Hamas on Oct 7. They're reserving that terrorist organization and its power for the day they'll need it. The reluctance to use it during the current war tells me Iran is still not ready for the ultimate showdown with Israel. It's also supported by the fact that Iran was quick to announce after its attack on Israel, that they're done if Israel doesn't further attacks, and then the Iranian regime pretended like it couldn't determine who launched the (counter)strike on Isfahan, and also did all it could to hide the damage that we now know was caused to Iran's aerial defense systems, protecting its nuclear program...

Iran is not ready yet. Does that mean they're not learning from this little exchange of blows? They are. Just like Hamas used every time they fired rockets at Israel to study Iron Dome, and make their next attacks more efficient. But what did the Iranian regime learn? That even when it looks like Israel is more diplomatically isolated than ever, that doesn't mean that the world's leaders will stand by when unjustified aggression is launched at it. They DO understand that what Iran gets away with when it comes to Israel can come for their own countries next. That its air defense systems are still no match for Israel's attack capabilities, since the Iranians failed to even detect them coming in. That there is a coalition in place, which even includes identified and unidentified moderate Arab countries, back by western ones, and this constellation will be much harder to fight than Israel on its own, even with Iran's proxies. That 99% success at defending Israel means Iran is not even close to where it needs to be, if it wants to launch its ultimate attack.

We do have to be wary, and I'm sure the heads of Israel's security forces are. But I also think we still have time before Iran makes its "big move" to destroy Israel, because honestly, I do believe they know they won't get more than one shot. So... I have that's a bit of comfort. I'm not saying Iran won't attack, but I am saying I don't think we're there yet. And just like Iran can use this little exchange to study Israel, we can do the same right back. Remember, Israel has a laser defense system that's meant to go operational in the near future, and it's meant to be even better (in more than one way) than Iron Dome. So we have a few tricks up our sleeves, too... ;)

Sending you a big hug, I hope you're okay, and if you celebrate it, then have a happy Passover! xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[raayllum]

One of the things I love most about Claudia is, quite frankly, how steadily and consistently Fucked Up she is, for lack of a better term. She comes up with the switching spell (an early sign she’ll surpass her father as a dark mage) but unlike Viren, can’t understand Harrow’s reservations about it. Which makes sense, as dark magic is inherently transactional as viewpoint. This ties into her wanting to take Runaan prisoner to be dark magic parts (“Yes! [Dark magic] is clever, it’s brilliant, it’s practical!”) not realizing that in terms of viewpoints, she has a lot more in common with the elf than differences. She lights Harrow’s body on fire with dark magic (reminiscent of using Sarai’s last breath for the vengeance spell she never would’ve approved of) with the framing aligning her with Viren to boot. 

She believes that Rayla could never be a good person because 1) she’s a Moonshadow elf and therefore just isn’t a person (or worth exceptionalizing as one yet) and 2) “She kidnapped you and Prince Ezran, how can she be good?” when Claudia is going to attempt to kidnap the boys the very next episode, but in her mind this is somehow salvageable, because it’s Necessary, isn’t it? It’s what her father wants.

But even her father’s dead set wishes aren’t a steady foundation, as Claudia has a habit of steamrolling over what her family wants when it’s things that might separate them from one another. She won’t let Viren let go, she won’t believe Soren about the princes when Viren offers up a solution that lets her keep her whole family together rather than having to choose her brother over her father, even if that means harming her brother. And she steamrolls because she thinks by physically fixing the problem (Viren’s death, Soren’s paralysis) the emotional issues (Viren’s trauma and panic attacks, Soren’s epiphanies) won’t continue to manifest; of course Soren mis-listened, of course Viren can go up the mountain. Never mind the consequences, never mind the pain; she fixed it. What’s the problem? (And of course, this sense of perfectionist preparation - “Gee Claudia, you’re so prepared, you’re the best” - alongside her smugness - “Wasn’t taking down a dragon one of your life goals?” isn’t sustainable or healthy for her either. We see how she panics and loses it when she isn’t prepared for a situation, and how the desperation drives her down deeper into the dark.) 

Even after Callum begs for her to let them go and after attacking Ezran multiple times, upon being a prisoner in her own home Claudia mandates that “We didn’t do anything wrong” (which is a far cry from Rayla’s response to her homecoming: “But you didn’t run. They have it all wrong” “Does it matter?”). Where Soren begins to question and defect, knowing his truth, he works to get Ezran out of jail whereas Claudia is conflicted but ultimately able to justify leaving him there, and able to justify staying when Soren leaves. With two years of only Aaravos in her ear, she’s gotten even worse, even more prejudiced against elves and dragons than she was before, save for her exceptions (Terry, Aaravos). And if even Terry is calling her out on her cruelty, and admitting that she did terrible things, then you know they were probably pretty awful for an elf who doesn’t bat an eye at his girlfriend slaughtering baby animals (hi puffer bats and baby deer). 

And at the same time, it’s not as though Claudia isn’t goofy and loving and compassionate. She loves ancient ruins and cuddling with dogs, she does feel some kind of way about seeing Callum again, she doesn’t just cut Terry loose when his life is put in danger and it’d be easier too - she genuinely loves him. Like I said all the way in the first few months after S2: 

I’d also like to say that this does not mean Claudia will not be redeemed. She does love people, has the possibility of using magic (Dark or otherwise) for good, would do anything for her brother (although only S3 and time can tell), and could be a reformed, more compassionate, fully rounded and loving person in the future.

Redemption is not out of the cards for her, whatsoever.

It’s just going to be a very long and hard road to get there.

[theflyindutchwoman]

You think you'll ever have kids? Uh, honestly? I, uh, thought I would've had some by now. Isabel and I, we made all these plans -- pop out three kids, watch them grow up, have kids of their own. But… Things don't always work out. Which is why you think I should make contingency plans.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 4.05 - A.C.H.

In many ways, this scene illustrates perfectly how Tim and Lucy's relationship blossoms and matures in season 04. With her being his aide, it would have been so easy to fall into a trap where their bond would at best remain stagnant, at worse reverse back to their old TO/subordinate dynamic… But it hasn't… Something has changed between them emotionally after that hug, even if they don't fully realise it. Even if it is subtle… They're somehow more at ease than before. Closer. Like partners, despite their difference in ranks… Like equals, as indicated by Lucy's presence behind the wheels, a rare occurrence.

Now this is far from the first time they talk about their personal life in the shop… That's actually the foundation of their relationship. What has started as a need for Tim to justify himself, to explain his actions to Lucy as they impacted her directly, has grown progressively into something more organic, more natural. She made him feel safe to share his feelings, his past with her and in return, he started to drop his walls. To heal. This is a continuation of that… Only deeper. Talking about the future he once envisaged, the dreams he had of having children… His dad… The way he says he's 'living proof that some people should not be parents'… There's something extremely vulnerable in opening up about these subjects. And he does it freely now, without much hesitation or reluctance. Lucy's glance at him displays perfectly their shorthand, how well they know each other. She doesn't have the full picture yet, but she knows enough to understand to what he is referring. His face when she asks him if he thinks he'll ever have kids… He's completely caught off-guard. That he doesn't dismiss or deflect her question shows how much he has changed and grown. How much more laid back he now is, especially with her. Thanks to her. And the fact that he looks at her while answering… He's not hiding from her, despite the nature of the question. He could have simply answered her vaguely, but instead, he decides to share a piece of himself, giving her a far more personal answer than she probably expected. Talking about Isabel and the dreams they had… This is extremely intimate. They've come a long way since he said : 'I'm married, Officer Chen, and this isn't something you and I talk about'.

And this is so amazing to hear him mention grandchildren. It makes Lucy's casual remark about having grandkids on their second date even more significant. This is a direct callback to his dream, a way of telling him that they share the same one and they could have it together now… And it makes her gesture even more special because he looks quite resigned here, the regrets all over his face. Almost as if he feels that this has passed him by… But this is a good segue to why he was encouraging her to go ahead with the process of freezing her eggs, as an insurance. At the time, it almost felt like he wasn't being supportive or rather, not understanding of her outrage. But he wasn't taking her Mom's side as much as he was simply speaking from his personal experience and offering her a different perspective. He simply doesn't want her to live with that regret, like he does.

And here they are now… talking about kids and grandkids, joking freely about this future. But to get there, they had to start with these little moments. That's how they built their beautiful relationship.

[royallygray]

JUST WATCHED EP3 TO THE END OF THE LIGHTNING THIEF AND OH BOY

I enjoyed that. Significantly. SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS (spoilers):

Hades is so fucking based? And for what? Like he's so chill he's chill in the books but Hades is cool as a cucumber

Pausing the show to rant to my friend about stuff that was inaccurate or just how cool stuff is. I love the show.

The funniest fucking thing was when Cerberus fucking broke through the clouds after Percy squeaked the ball and that was a literal jump scare and I screamed. It was fucking amazing.

I was so mad after Annabeth hugged Percy at the Arch and Grover didn't get a hug. LET MY FUCKING BOYS HUG OH MY GODS IDK IF THEY HUG IN THE BOOKS BUT GROVER LOOKED SO LONELY

Speaking of: GROVER IS THE MOST FUCKING AMAZING CHARACTER. HE GASLIT ARES. I LOVE HIM.

Speaking of, I also enjoyed Annabeth gaslighting Hermes.

I also liked screaming "LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA" when he was going up the elevator.

Also Medusa was kind of like... nice? And I got weirdly attached to her? Also where was the diner I wanted them to eat their hamburgers in the diner

grovers conflict resolution skills are. peak

the scene where he snaps at them after Medusa is dead is fucking amazing.

My friend and I were so upset that Percy and Annabeth didn't have the double stuf Oreo scene in the shitty animal trafficking truck

although when they got out of the truck and let the animals escape, I fucking adored Grover being like "the animals are safe" and Percy being like "I meant the humans" and Grover going "oh. them. well, the animals are safe!"

Fucking hated Echidna. Bitch. I enjoyed hating her. She looks like if a school counselor got sent to an insane asylum and broke out. I don't know how, but it works in my brain.

I was screaming the entire time they were at the Arch. I went summer o' 2023 and LIKE. IT WAS SO COOL. Also Thomas Jefferson? Legend. I went to Monticello and the UVA on the same trip. I fucking love architecture. Really hate that he had slaves. The architecture was really cool though. Not a good person, but he does like his fucking brick roads. Seriously. So many brick roads. He's a hypocrite politician who had slaves, he is, but also designed some pretty fucking cool architecture.

Anyways back to the Arch, I WALKED ON THAT GROUND THAT THEY WALKED ON YIPPEE :D

Also I was a little disappointed that Percy slipped off of the Arch rather than jumping but whatever

OMG THE HEPHAESTUS SCENE ANNABETH I LOVE YOU. I fucking loved that scene she fucking solved it.

Also Sally wanting Percy to be different from the gods because their family is shitty AF? sad. AND him actually being different and Annabeth believing in him? sad.

AND LUKE. SOMEHOW I LIKED LUKE AT THE END. AND MY FRIEND AND I HAD AN ENTIRE DISCUSSION.

LUKE'S REASONS WERE SO FUCKING JUSTIFIED AND IT MAKES ME SAD. Sure, he shouldn't've fucking SOLD HIS SOUL to Kronos, but gods. Luke. You were right. You are right. The gods should fucking carry their slack, and while I don't think Percy believed him at first, at least not completely, I think by Last Olympian Percy understands completely where he's coming from, because Percy has a lot of pent up emotions at the gods too and I think Luke got part of what he wanted. I think

ANYWAYS HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS I TOOK WHEN WE PAUSED THE SHOW TO TALK:

the second one of Ares (the contemplation face) is a meme. I guarantee it. I can't remember which meme, I just remember that I've seen that facial expression before.

the angles of Ares and Grover for the 1st Grover one (the weird above angle) were strange. like a detective scene. a strange detective scene. it was fucking hilarious.

Grover having his head out of the roof was such an amazing moment for me. I loved it. It's such a good picture.

also here's a meme I made

Thank you for coming to my ted talk and have a nice rotation of Earth's axis :)

[autisticlancemcclain]

wip tease number 7 i think

Keith hates it when Shiro is right. It’s the worst thing in the world. Second only to coming home after a really long day, looking forward to the leftovers you know you have waiting for you in the fridge, only to discover that some asshole ate them and now you have to go to jail for murdering them.

Ugh.

It really does double suck, because working as a ‘lube technician’ — unfortunately the hilarity of that title wore of quick when Keith discovered that it was, in fact, there so the company could justify paying their workers less than what was standard for mechanics — is kind of the worst, and Shiro is too smug about it to feel the appropriate amount of pity for Keith. It means he spends a lot of time in his lonely, boring apartment after work instead of bothering Shiro and Adam (like he is wont to do) because he’s too proud to admit that yeah, maybe he should have done something else with his certification.

“Kogane! Get your ass over to hoist three, there’s a customer waiting!”

Huffing, Keith drags himself to his feet, preparing himself for yet another person who does not understand that no, oil changes cannot be done with the cooking oil you pick up from the store, yes motor oil is expensive, Keith does understand that, and no, he has no control over the prices and if they could just stop throwing a temper tantrum that would be great.

Keith finally makes it over to hoist three, where a beat-to-hell blue Toyota is parked. A lanky guy sits criss-cross-applesauce on the hood. He wiggles his fingers in a little wave.

“You must be Keith? I’m Lance. My car is fucked up.”

Keith can’t help the amused quirk of his lips. “I would imagine it is, yes. Any ideas what’s wrong with it?”

Lance shakes his head. “Nope. Only that it makes this meeeeerfp noise if I start it without saying several decades of the rosary. Abuela says it’s because God is punishing me for making dumbass decisions, but somehow I think it might just be car troubles.”

The stupid joke startles a genuine laugh out of him, which make’s the customer — Lance — grin, brown eyes sparkling.

“If you make that noise for me again, I’ll check it out,” Keith teases.

Lance winks. “If I make it twice, can I watch?”

“Three times and I’ll think about it.”

Lance makes the noise three times without even a second of hesitation, leaning back on his hands and tilting his head slightly.

“That work for you, Greñudo?”

“Nah, I just wanted to see if you’d make a fool of yourself at my command.”

That makes the slightest flush dust Lance’s cheeks. The sight of it makes something flutter in Keith’s belly.

Gods above. Is he flirting? Like, genuinely? And successfully? He’s never done that before. That’s insanity.

“Alright, round to Keith,” Lance concedes. He hops off the car and digs around in his pockets for the keys, handing them to Keith, looking a little apologetic. “And as much as I really would like to watch you do — anything, I gotta get to work. Can I swing by in a few hours to get a diagnostic?”

“Sure thing,” Keith says, schooling his face back into a mask of professionalism. He’s got a job to do, after all, and Lance is just a cute customer. Keith’ll fix whatever needs fixing, and then he’ll never see Lance again.

Shame, though.

“Thanks! See ya.” He does that dorky little wave again as he leaves, humming as he makes his way out of the garage and down the parking lot.

Keith isn’t going to lie — he watches him go.

[akookminsupporter]

New day, same shit, same fandom

From the moment you come into this fandom one of the first things you learn is that the main "enemy" of BTS is kpoppies or fans of other K-pop groups; what no one tells you and what you have to learn on your own is that Jimin's main enemy is their own fandom.

Generalisations are never good, but for the sake of this conversation, I'll talk about fandom in general with the understanding that not everyone in it thinks or acts this way.

When hickey-gate happened or we learned about it the fandom collectively didn't know how to act. Everyone concluded that what Jungkook had on his neck was really a hickey and that it was Jimin who did it - the reasons each fan believed were different.

That day was funny because everyone, with a few exceptions, couldn't justify what they saw, what Jimin and Jungkook showed us and what they told us, but deep down we know that many didn't like it and were uncomfortable with what it possibly meant. I know and many of us know that many were dying to o7ify that hickey and today in a way they managed to do so.

In today's Wlive Joon clearly had a hickey on his neck, he tried to hide it, downplay it and in the end, gave a not-so-plausible explanation, but that's what he said and we have to respect it, the problem is what happened afterwards or the reaction of the fandom. Their chance to o7ify that moment between Jimin and Jungkook finally came. This time, in the form of " jokes".

Many immediately came out tweeting that that hickey was obviously done by Jimin because we all know he's a biter. Others said that Jimin probably does the same thing to all members or that he has given every member a hickey, that's his thing! Some said. At the end of every tweet or in a different tweet they make the disclaimer that it was all a "joke".

All of us who have been paying attention know of the thousand and one hurtful, offensive and cruel narratives that the subgroup has raised against Jimin, one of them being that Jimin is basically a slut that members pass off on each other and these "jokes" that many are making today only perpetuate that narrative.

It's frustrating how those people don't understand how offensive those "jokes" are and it's frustrating how their arrogance doesn't make them understand why many of us are upset and it's frustrating how they don't understand that those jokes give more validation to the subgroup to keep saying stupid things about Jimin.

Joon at no point mentioned Jimin, but somehow they concluded that it was Jimin who did it to him. It's funny how many in this fandom get offended when someone even hints that another member is lgtbi+ but has no problem joking about Jimin in that context.

It's frustrating how many in this fandom still have this misconception about who Jimin really is and don't understand that Jimin is the most respectful member of BTS. And that's something I won't argue with anyone. Jimin knows boundaries, he knows where to stop and unlike what many want to believe, he doesn't behave with all members the same way he behaves with Jungkook. And no, this is not me trying to make it all about JiKook, this is about telling many of you that you don't really know Jimin.

The most frustrating thing about this is that several jikookers and vminkookers also made "jokes" about this. They are also normalising behaviour in the fandom in relation to Jimin which is toxic and dangerous, and that is frustrating. Once again I wonder why the aversion against Jimin? why the fear towards jikook?

A few days ago the subgroup demonized Jimin's donation to UNICEF for the affected children in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria and no one did anything. Interesting how they didn't say the same about Hobi, who did exactly the same thing. The problem is when Jimin does it. The problem for many is Jimin.

Will I ever stop making posts like this?

Jimin is a wonderful, talented, respectful and private person. With a beautiful soul. super talented, funny and LOVED by MILLIONS of people in the world. Jimin will continue to succeed, and make lots of money and his detractors will continue to be bitter in the darkness of their bedrooms.

[tomatoluvr69]

It’s so funny to be lazily ambiguous with gender and sexuality in real life because most people are like oh that’s a butch lesbian. Because I am lazy. And because I only clear things up with vetted friends and literally do not care about pronouns and names and have had different names/pronouns in different circles etc. and they see my men’s attire and the fact that I haven’t binded (bound?) in years and my short hair has long grown out. And then they tell on themselves and their own lazy heuristics when I talk about liking a man that it either a) takes them visibly aback and they have to stumble over themselves to pretend they’re not shocked or b) straight up think I’m joking and continue to believe I’m a butch lesbian. And the craziest thing is other queer people like somehow often worse about this despite this sort of idea that they have of themselves that they don’t assume anyone’s gender/sexuality and that they don’t tie ideas of androgyny to a flat chest and that they do believe that pretty extreme gender fluidity can and does exist and that everyone’s experience with gender is unique. And then there’s all sorts of shit where if I don’t feel like explaining/justifying the fact that I feel my concept of identity and self shift at such a glacial pace that it’s not worth establishing a conventional nonbinary or transgender identity (that conforms to the accepted experience, timeline, and desired considerations) in public, beyond my trusted friends who are chill about deviant experiences within the queer norm, I’m just one of them theyfabs claiming to be queer for clout. Ugh anyways it’s crazy to be one of the few people on the planet who needs to occasionally come out as what may appear at the outset as straight. I’m literally not a lesbian and no one ever ever stops to think I might not be. But I’ve had so many profound experiences with women and within that sort of community that I do feel such a strong affinity there, and in an ideal world would love to be something like a he/him lesbian. But I’m not a lesbian. Because I like men!! Despite only ever having been with women!!! And it also is so funny to me that were I to enter into a relationship with a man I would be considered completely and entirely cishet despite my extensive experiences within the gay community and specifically the lesbian community. Who would accept me with open arms if I’d ended up permanently with one of the women I’ve been with!! But I remain steadfast in my convictions that I do not need to explain myself to anyone. And truly I do not care in the least what people assume about me, I’m a very private person for whom open identity is not important and I’m literally way too chill to care. But it’s just continuously funny to have to come out as not a lesbian. How many dozens of times have I had to be like “actually I am not a homosexual”. Literally the opposite experience of most LGBTeeeees I’ve just got that deeply intensely masculine swag for real that the effect lasts even when my hair gets down to like shoulder length. And it’s like, even though I am perceived as female, albeit a queer one, I have had literally every single one of the stereotypical experiences of the ‘knew I was transgender from early childhood’ archetype and that’s just supposed to be completely invalid because I decided not to medically transition due to the spans of time I have where my identity shifts and I know I’m not qualified to pick one of the three acceptable genders for the rest of my life? And I understand the broader community’s frustration with certain aspects of hegemony re: people whose identities are snidely referred to as “theyfabs” and bisexual women in LTRs with men HOWEVER im just so tiredddddddddddd of the condescension, and lazy heuristics I notice in queer people’s treatment of me and assumptions about me. Anyways thanks 2 the gay people in my phone for letting me be amorphous and being so so chill about it. I mean it probably helps that you can’t see my genuinely gargantuan and unbindable breasts from my posts. But christ man it’s just exhausting lol

[letmereadinpeace4]

My Dear Gangster Oppa Commentary - Episode 2

Reminders of the theories/interpretations made so far:

Guy and Tew are similar in their social awkwardness and their yearning for social interactions. However, they express it differently with Guy really coming across as awkward while Tew, thanks to his blank face and quietness, coming across as cold and inapproachable. Their different expressions of their social awkwardness leads to them having difficulty communicating.

Wahl and Guy are caught in a relationship that is overly emotionally intense. Their friendship has been build on their desire for connection and this has lead to them not drawing proper boundaries in their relationship, with Wahl feeling comfortable overstepping and Guy, so far, letting him do so. Guy’s unrequited love and his decision to distance himself has lead to a fracture in their relationship that is going to cause some issues.

Now that this is out of the way, let’s focus on the episode:

So we start this episode where we ended it, with Guy passed out from being drunk and clinging to Tew. Tew’s expression and the music make it clear that the physical contact is surprising but not unappreciated. I like how he slowly relaxes into the embrace. The romantic moment is somewhat undercut by the realization that both of their phones must have been ringing/vibrating the entire night!

We go from cute moment in the bedroom to a dramatic gangster scene and WHAT IS THIS OUTFIT!? Shirt with stripes and a red scarf! And this haircut! And these red tinted glasses that I might have worn when I was seven! And leather pants! Who dressed you! The more I look at it the more outrageous it is! Nothing works in this outfit! Nope sorry I know the music is supposed to make him look badass but this outfit just breaks any badass vibes he may have had. Even a knife does not help...

So Tew is a boss in a mafia gang and is having trouble because the random asshole he kicked out of the club happens to be the son of someone important...We will see where this goes but I am already placing bets that Guy will end up involved somehow, probably by getting kidnapped and used as a hostage.

The morning scene is really cute. I like that Guy and Tew are communicating much more naturally. The change is probably due to a mix of the pressure of the date being taken off, the fact that they spent the entire night cuddling and the fact that there is an expected social script for this kind of situation (or if you prefer, a somewhat clearer set of expectations to “succeed” at this social interaction i.e let someone sleep, explain how they got there, make them breakfast etc). This goes with my theory that Tew is more at ease when there is a social script to follow. Tew also confirms his eligibility as boyfriend by cooking a great breakfast for Guy, and Guy confirms his appreciation by letting him take the first bite and offering to wash the dishes. Overall a great moment of connection for both characters even if very little seems to be happening. It is this kind of interactions that slowly easy off the awkwardness and make future conversations easier.

So Guy talked about Wahl in his sleep. I like the random tangent about whales before confirming who Wahl actually is. This feels very real. More to the point, I like that Guy did not beat around the bush and explained things clearly. It is always good to see characters in drama avoid obvious misunderstanding tropes. Tew is not blind and recognizes that Guy has feelings for Wahl (or thinks he does).

Guy sees Tew’s scars and the situation immediately gets tense, which I absolutely get for both sides. Tew understandably does not wish to share about his day job as a gangster and Guy probably has so many questions about how the hell it happened.

So once he is back, Guy meets Wahl who is incredibly worried about where he was. Dramatic and overprotective sure, but somewhat justified by the fact that Guy disappeared all of the sudden without telling where he went and with whom, and did not answer his phone. It is easy to see Wahl as controlling, but if Guy has never done this kind of thing before, it is understandable that he would get worried.

Okay so while I do get that Wahl comes across as overprotective and controlling, he has a great point and his argument is fair. Meeting someone you have never met in real life, without telling anyone, and getting drunk is a recipe for disaster.

This must have been one of the rare time when Tew has been called kind. His smile is really beautiful. He soon gets down from his romantic high by being called for mafia responsibilities.

My theory that Wahl is immature seems to have more weight. His apology to Guy consists of him explaining why he was mad, saying sorry, and goofing around until Guy lets go of the grudge. He does not try to understand why Guy was mad or what line he might have crossed. He engages in this interaction with the mindset of “Please stop being mad” rather than “What made you mad?”. Then he says that he will spend some time with Guy only to backtrack and ask him to adapt to his schedule because his girlfriend asked for some help. To be fair, Wahl is not doing anything wrong per say: Guy is free all day and can meet him when he wants, and helping his girlfriend is what a good boyfriend does. However, he comes across as dismissive. By saying that he wants to spend some time with Guy only to backtrack when he has another engagement, his “kindness” towards Guy is downplayed and can be interpreted as disingenuous.

I will never get over about how glaring the shift from slice of life romantic comedy drama to mafia thriller is. One moment I am analyzing the dysfunctional relationship between two young adults and the next I am thinking about mafia politics.

Nope the outfit is not better! The glasses and the hairstyle still suck, the leather jacket and the red pants are kind of okay but for a teenager trying very hard to look cool, and the necklace plus the purple scarf is just an eyesore.

The old guy (their boss) stabbing (or tazing, it is not very clear) Wish John Lennon comes out of nowhere! I know it was supposed to be cool but it is so random I started laughing. Also way to breed resentment between your employees. Sorry mafia old dude but putting two of your members (they both seem to be pretty high rank) one against the other is only going to lead to trouble in the future.

So Wish John Lennon either killed someone or had sex with someone who is sleeping and rather than going to a doctor or to a pharmacy, he decides to treat his wound himself by pouring alcohol on it and licking his wound. Then he makes a dramatic threat against Tew for….getting him into trouble, even though apparently he didn’t even have to get involved in the first place and could have just stepped back and let Tew take the fall? I am sorry he just tries to hard to be a badass bad guy but his personality is so flat that I cannot get invested in him (I did not even catch his name…).

Tew seems to have his subordinates and employee's respect and I love that. Between Yuri who introduced him to gaming and gave him her profile to his driver/subordinate who worries about whether his apology to chief Sun went well, his people seem to care for him and respect him and it is really good to see.

Wahl again shows his lack of consideration. He invites Guy over when his girlfriend is here, apparently unaware that this makes Guy the third wheel, and ignores him in favor of bantering cutely with his girlfriend. Then he gets upset when Guy focuses on his phone.

I also have a feeling that Wahl simply does not get online relationship, probably because he did not engage in them. Furthermore, as he has mentioned in the last episode, his social circle tends to be Guy’s social circle. He sees Guy’s online friends as people he does not have access to and that, in some way, take Guy away from him. If we assume that Guy started gaming after Wahl got into a relationship, then it is reasonable to assume that Wahl may think that Guy distancing himself is because he found new friends online.

I am impressed by how easier it is for Tew and Guy to communicate by message. They banter easily, Guy plays cute while Tew plays hard to get and there us a teasing aspect to their interactions. It is almost jarring to see how different their interactions are between when they meet in the real world and when they talk online. I also love how clearly they enjoy talking to each other. Seriously they always smile when talking to each other. It is lovely to see.

I love the introduction of each member of the group. They manage to immediately introduce us to each character and their overall personality. Their banter is really fun. Also P’Insomnia is a mood.

I also really enjoy that they did not make the gamer characters into stereotypes. Usually, at least in the West, gamers are typically portrayed as socially maladjusted men dwelling in their mothers’ basement. It is really good to see different types of gamers and for them to have a positive portrayal.

The way Guy describes Tew is really sweet, not only because it shows that he is smitten with him but also because it shows that Guy has a much better understanding of who Tew is. It came much faster than I thought it would but I really like it.

I love Guy’s introduction of the member of the group to Tew. This is also a typical thing that happens with two introverts. When there is a social situation where one is more at ease than the other and suddenly it’s like their awkwardness is gone and they manage the social interaction perfectly. I call it the “My desire to be a good friend trumps my social awkwardness”.

They make it really obvious that they are into each other! I cannot imagine how awkward it is for everyone!

P’Insomnia is great! I really love her banter with Tom/Doctor Strange and her trying to restrain Muffin’s flirting. I also love how she feels confident enough in herself to only drink water when everyone else is drinking beer (especially since she came by bike).

Meanwhile, Guy joins the drinking even though he knows he does not have a good tolerance. It’s probably due to him wanting to do things like everyone else and join the drinking, but still, it is a bad idea. I wonder if this will stay as a running gag about him or if it will have more serious repercussions later. I do not have any preference as of now.

So Guy inevitably gets drunk and Tew gets him to the bathroom to take care of him. We have a speedrun of two romantic tropes in the space of two minutes with Tew catching Guy when he falls and then wiping his face. Tew seems to be taking his role as a caretaker in stride and I find it really sweet. I also find it interesting that he seems to be at ease in this role, aside from some mild exasperation at the beginning. So far, we do not know what his family background is but I wonder if he has already been placed in this position before.

As Guy and Tew exit the park, they meet Wahl, who has looked at Guy’s phone and discussion with “Yuri” and followed them. This is the one point where Wahl goes from being a protective friend who can be immature and inconsiderate to a friend who is crossing some serious boundaries. Him following Guy at the meeting, demanding to know why Guy is so drunk, pulling him towards him and accusing Tew of getting him drunk is more in line with how an over-controlling partner acts than how a proper friend acts, especially since he knows (again, when he looked at Guy’s phone conversation) that the meeting was planned. His previous overstepping could be explained by him being protective and perhaps being worried and afraid at the growing distance between him and Guy, but now he has no excuse for this behavior.

Wahl and Tew are staring at each other like predators defending their territory. Sorry Wahl, but I think Tew can overpower you any day, perhaps with only one hand.

Final Thoughts:

This was a good second episode, that serves as a good follow up to episode one. We got introduced to each members of the guild and they all seem like fun people with interesting personalities. I look forward to seeing more of them and I hope they can all maintain their friendship.

Guy and Tew grew closer faster than I expected, which is really good. There is still a difference between their communication online and their communication in real life, but from the pace at which their relationship seems to be advancing I have a feeling that they are merely going through an adjustment period. An element from their interactions online that I have noticed is their dynamic : Guy often plays cute to get what he wants and initiates the conversations while Tew plays hard to get with short answers and rebuttals, but indulges Guy at every turn. They also seem comfortable teasing each other. The reason I find it interesting is because, well frankly it is really cute, and second because it does not really translate to their interactions in the real world yet. If we assume that talking online is easier and more natural for them both, this implies that as they grow closer and more comfortable, this might be their future dynamic. I look forward to watching it happen.

A thing that I really enjoy is how the actors show how much Guy and Tew enjoy being with one another and talking to one another. When they are chatting online, they have huge smiles on their faces and are barely paying attention to what is happening around them. When they meet each other, they are constantly looking at one another and paying attention to one another. This might seem like a minor element, but it is this kind of things that makes a relationship convincing to me.

The mafia stuff, so far, seems completely separated from the rest of the plot, to the point that I honestly find it a little jarring. I have not been able to get a good reading on Wish John Lennon yet (What does he want? What is his deal with Tew? Why does he look like he chose his clothes randomly?) and a lot of things regarding Tew’s position and involvement are quite blurry to me. We know that he ranks quite high, but we don’t know why and what is his relationship with his boss. I hope we get to see more of it in future episodes, because so far this part of the show has not really impressed me.

And finally, the Wahl Situation. I will be honest, I do not want to hate Wahl. I think characters in his position often end up unjustly maligned both in-show and in the fandom and I really want to give him the benefit of the doubt. In this commentary, it might seem as though I am defending him, but what I really want to do is explain why he might react this way. Because in the end, he is a somewhat immature nineteen year old (at least) who is watching his friend slowly distance himself from his and might not even know why.

That having been said, this episode showed him cross the line between concerned and a little possessive friend to friend who is being inconsiderate and overbearing. I have said in the commentary that he comes across as an over-controlling partner. However in hindsight he actually reacts more like an overprotective parent or elder sibling, with the actions of looking at Guy’s phone, scolding him for his recklessness and being aggressive to people he perceives as a threat. Scolding your friend when they do something reckless is a good thing. Worrying about their safety is also a very good thing. But assuming a position of control and/or supervision without their consent or appreciation is crossing the line. In future episodes, I look forward to seeing two things regarding Wahl : first, how Guy reacts to Wahl’s presence at the park and his actions towards Tew, and second, what exactly is Wahl feeling for Guy and what is his impression of their relationship so far.

So that’s it for episode 2. This commentary ended up way too long and I probably overthink about some things, but I enjoyed writing it. I really look forward to watching the next episode in *check mydramalist* 5 days.

[disappointingyellowhighlighter]

I know nobody needs to hear my opinions about the Israel Palestine conflict but I have a lot of thoughts and nowhere to put them so here goes:

1. What Israel is doing is wrong. Israel as a state should not exist, especially in the way it does now.

2. Innocent Israeli citizens exist. Jews do have ancestral ties to the land and should be allowed to exist there without having to be conflated in belief with a genocidal government. Not all Israeli citizens are Jewish, and they, too, deserve to exist there without having to be conflated in belief with a genocidal government.

3. Hamas is a terrorist organization.

4. If Israel puts down its weapons before Hamas does, innocent Israeli citizens will die.

5. Every country on earth should be calling for a ceasefire. From both sides. Yes, the sides are not on equal footing. But BOTH must put down weapons for peace to be an option.

6. Western leftists do not understand how to be anti-zionist and anti-israel without being antisemitic. It is not a fine line, but it is one that is easy to cross and many do not listen when they are called out for it. Please listen when this comes up. Please check the biases of the sources you consume media from. Check how they are funded, check where they are located. By all means read the articles but be aware where they are coming from. I know it's easy to disregard this argument, and it may even be made erroneously, but please evaluate what has been said and think about why a Jewish person may have found it offensive. If it is TRULY just because there was criticism of Israel and/or Zionism, disregard the argument. Additionally, please understand the conditional whiteness given to white Jews. Telling us we have white privilege without understanding conditional whiteness and the history of whiteness as a classification, especially in regard to how it affects Jews, is ignorant at best and antisemitic at worst. Yes, many of us have white privilege. Until we are openly Jewish.

7. A lot of people who are calling to free Palestine have not thought past that. I agree. Free Palestine. But what happens after? Are former Israeli citizens expected to leave? If so, where? If not, do you expect the two groups to work out their own peace? Or should other nations be involved? If former Israeli citizens are not given a place to go and start getting attacked by the new government, what then? How will you respond if that is what happens? Please consider these questions. I know you don't think anything bad will happen, but think about what hamas already did, think about how Jews are treated historically, and think about what the plan would be going forward after the dismantling of Israel.

8. A lot of people think violence against Israeli citizens is justified. A lot of people think Hamas is in the right. I cannot change your mind. But this IS antisemitic. If you believe that Hamas was in the right for what they did to civilians because they are citizens of Israel, the only country in the world that's national religion is Judaism, you are antisemitic. If that statement upsets you, re-evaluate your position and why you feel the way you do.

9. Israel is indiscriminately bombing Gaza under the guise that they are somehow taking down Hamas. They are lying. Israel will claim any man killed by the IOF in Gaza is Hamas. They are lying. Israel is actively committing a genocide and if you are not against that genocide you are wrong.

10. Many diaspora Jews, because of this conflict, feel unsafe. We would be crazy not to. Any move on Israel's part always results in a rise of antisemitism worldwide, because people conflate Israel with Judaism. They are not even close to the same. I've seen appalling images of IOF soldiers using a combat knife as a yod, holding it up to a Torah. That is disgusting. But enough people conflate Israel and Judaism that diaspora Jews are affected by anything Israel does. Almost always negatively. If you are calling diaspora Jews selfish or saying we are claiming false victimhood, you are being antisemitic and you are using a genocide to justify it. If that statement bothers you, re-evaluate.

13. There is nuance in this situation. And if you refuse to acknowledge that nuance, I can assume it is for antisemitic reasons. And if that statement bothers you, re-evaluate.

11. I implore people to study Jewish history. See WHY Israel exists in the first place. You do not need to have empathy for Israel, I suggest you actively have none, but please please have empathy for Israeli citizens and diaspora Jews alike.

12. American support of Israel comes from a place of antisemitism.

14. All of these opinions can and should exist in tandem. Palestinians are being oppressed by Israel, Gaza is an open air prison, and Israel needs to stop bombing Gaza immediately. Innocent Israeli citizens and diaspora Jews should not be blamed for the actions of the Israeli government.

15. Free Palestine.

[seraphiism]

𓆩 ღ 𓆪 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐚

( i hope your dream won't just be left as a dream. )

chara : alhaitham fandom : genshin impact quote cr : agust d a/n : i must be honest . i have no idea what i wrote (ﾉ `Д`) ﾉ. focuses on alhaitham's past, might be ooc

prologue : ( the absence ) of dreams.

there is a place where knowledge survives in the depths of the world, its roots far and wide : agile, ubiquitous, resilient. how it fosters progressive growth and brilliant minds, sets the driving force for discovery and beyond.

there is a place where knowledge remains stagnant in the depths of the world, its roots damaged and decomposed : devitalized. dying. dead. how it fosters an insatiability and never ending greed, sets the expectations for discovery to come and go with such ease.

in this place, dreams are stolen away, only witnessed by youth. because there is always something to be learned in these visions, they'll say, because they'll stretch the truth, make something out of nothing ; they'll find a way to justify the theft of one's mind and soul and spirit intertwined in the manifestation of reverie, and you would have never known.

in this place, a scribe thrives, mind sharp and knowledgeable. in this place, a loneliness grows up and distances himself from the rest, finds that solitude has always been a friend first and foremost.

in this place, the foundation of wisdom and greater things-- home, alhaitham learns to dream again.

prologue , revisited : ( the absence ) of dreams , the absence of what could have been.

alhaitham remembers little of his childhood ; ask him of his origins and he will remember seldom through first-hand experience. they won't question it, not too much-- because oh, well-- it's hard to remember those things when you're so young, and they'll leave it at that because that's normal, isn't it? to be forgetful of a time where you knew so little, knew only how to rely on others and how to breathe and live and survive through the hand that feeds.

they'll leave it at that, but even if they didn't, he doesn't think he would mind. perhaps there is a distant sadness that survives in the crevices of the heart, never learning to fade in years past, and maybe that's just part of the human equation. he doesn't think about it much. no need to, after all.

yes, they'll leave it at that, blame the lack of memories in youth from age. they won't know that he lost his parents too early, lost something he never quite had, because can you really say you had something when it slipped out of your grasp so quickly and so soon? alhaitham finds some semblance of logic in that, but maybe that's selfish. of course he had his parents. he is sure that he loved them and he is sure that they loved him. maybe it is easier to cope somehow with these thoughts, even if there may be some cruelty in it.

perhaps he does miss his parents, after all, even if he understands that sometimes, it is hard to miss what you never had.

chapter one : the first dream.

it's an ordinary sunday and the room is white. look out the window and there's sunlight to be found, and what a beautiful sight it is, but what a frightening realization it is : it reaches and reaches, begging, but it never reaches the room, obstructed by the glass.

alhaitham doesn't know what it means. he doesn't know how he remembers that it's sunday, doesn't know why this place is familiar. it's cold. he doesn't think he's afraid, but this feeling that creeps up his spine deems an unrest, but he'll call it uncertainty, because there's always an explanation for everything, but even he cannot find the answers to what lies before him.

it is a vast space, endless, but he continues anyway. the path is tiresome, progress indistinguishable in the white. the sunlight stays, too. there is something to be found here. liminal space or not, he continues forth. the unrest brews. something in him trembles, but he walks, anyway.

endless. unforgiving. endless. unfamiliar. an undesired forever, the tiring of self, the burning in one's limbs, the extinction of energy, then --

a faint orange and yellow. alhaitham glances at the windows now, finds that the sunlight has found its way to the place where it belongs. he walks again. the orange and yellow hues grow with each step ; the cold slowly dissipates, and in his trek, it is almost like he is unearthing a life. he doesn't run, no, but part of him wants to, because there is something to be found here, but he doesn't. not yet.

the colors flood in. the white becomes something unforgotten, summons everything else in its absence. there is something that lies at the end -- he can see it -- it is something so terribly familiar but not known, so he runs and he runs and he runs until he becomes of close proximity, then he stops.

there is something to be found : a memory, a happiness, a sorrow.

it is almost a vision of some sort-- a strange sight, the image of himself. he doesn't move, frozen in place. he wonders what sort of expression he wields.

because before him, there is a happy family. a mother and father, one with the same shade of gray hair, another with the same shade of green eyes. it's a tranquil scene, and he cannot make out what is being said, but there are smiles on their faces as they look down at the child the mother holds.

he swallows hard. he does not know what to make of this. he takes a deep breath, shuts his eyes, almost smiles at the sound of distant laughter, and wonders if this is a dream. if it is, then this is not reality -- so he can find distance from this, somehow, and release himself from the fear and confusion of the unknown.

yes, perhaps this is a dream. maybe this is a memory of when his parents first brought him home.

his eyes feel heavy. he opens them anyway, witnesses the blooming of a newfound love and joy. he smiles a bittersweet smile and wonders if he will remember this when he wakes.

chapter one , aftermath : the first dream.

alhaitham wakes with a racing heart. he blinks, stares absentmindedly at the ceiling. he remembers bits and pieces of something; it lingers on the tip of his tongue, threatens to be forgotten. he should remember. he knows it was something very dear to him.

his heart slows eventually. he doesn't move. he has to remember, but the pillow under his head and the warmth of your body slowly lull him back to slumber, threaten to bring him under and free him of a lost memory on the verge of discovery.

"that's not sleeping."

he snaps from his train of thought at your mumbling. you don't think much of it at first; alhaitham is such a light sleeper that the smallest movement would wake him, but there is something different about his countenance that piques your curiosity.

"you okay?"

he looks at you, almost uncertain-- an expression you rarely see from your lover, but he nods before his gaze returns to the ceiling. he looks more perplexed than anything, deep in thought, and you almost want to press the issue, but you don't.

"i dreamt."

the knowing of dreams is no longer a shocking revelation nowadays, but even so, the restoration of them is a celebration. you do not remember yours too often, but when you do, you write them down, knowing that the recovery of such a vision should be cherished. you wonder if this is the first time he remembers his.

you wonder if it was peaceful. you wonder what it is that brings him uncertainty : the dream itself, or the ability to dream once again.

"was it a good one?" your voice is quiet. careful.

silence. the wind is a gentle breeze outside, barely heard. alhaitham inhales deeply, turns on his side to face you. it's almost instinct that your hands meet, palm against palm, and he smiles gently when he compares his hands to yours.

"it was." he laces his fingers with yours. "i dreamt of my parents."

even in the moonlit darkness, you feel the kindness in his gaze. you squeeze his hand, feel that lump in your throat when you remember his past hardships.

"i'm glad." your lips brush against his knuckles, grateful. "i hope you dream of them again."

chapter two : the second dream.

it's an ordinary sunday and the room is already filled with sunlight. alhaitham recognizes this, surrounded by rays of tenderness and warmth, and knows this to be yet another dream. he wonders if it will be different than before. he is reminded of that endless loop of dreams, understands them to be both wanted and unwanted, but he recalls the first dream, knows that to relive such a sight would be most welcome.

he walks. the path is vast once again, but there is hope in his stride. this time, there is a familiar shade of green and white that fills his vision. distant figures. he walks, anyway.

before him there are two people. one wields that same shade of gray, but this time, it is through age, and the other--

alhaitham suddenly feels an ache. the other is a young child. the other is him, an orphan, an outcast. he sits next to his grandmother, bright curiosity and intrigue in his eyes as she reads to him. a day like any other, he remembers, but special, nonetheless.

he smiles a bittersweet smile. dreams are not always beautiful, and even if this one hurts, it still is.

he swallows hard, takes a deep breath, closes his eyes. somewhere in the distance, he hears his grandmother's laughter when his younger self asks for yet another story.

one more, she'll say, he imagines, and she does.

he smiles a bittersweet smile. something aches so terribly.

he should wake soon.

chapter two , aftermath : the second dream.

"alhaitham?"

alhaitham wakes with a racing heart. there is something wrong-- there must be with the way you look at him, eyes wide and filled with worry. your fingers linger on his wrist, frantic pulse known by your touch. he doesn't quite understand, slumber weakly holding onto consciousness, and it is only when he feels something trail down his face that he truly wakes.

rare is it that he sheds tears. in truth, he remembers the last time he cried, dressed in all black, vision blurred. a burial site. words of comfort unheard, muffled. forgotten.

how many apologies did he hear until they meant nothing?

"love--" you grab his wrist, gentle, slowly ease him back to the present. "are you--" you pause, take a deep breath, ease the tension from your shoulders. there are only so many times you can ask someone if they're okay, so you don't. another deep breath. "i'm here with you."

you have never seen alhaitham in such a state, never seen him cry. although he may not actively be distressed, the baffled countenance he fails to keep at bay says more than enough. with a soothing touch, you wipe the tears away, notice how quick they are to stop. alhaitham doesn't say much, tells you that he's alright, thanks you for your comfort.

you don't ask what he dreamt of, but there is something very lonely in the way he holds you that night.

he is afraid to fall asleep. he does not know if he desires yet another memory in slumber.

what a very selfish thought to have. he is sorry.

chapter three : the third dream.

it's a special sunday and the room is white, but already is it filled with warmth and daylight. he recognizes this place, knows it to be one of many celebrations. there is no journey, no endless trek. he is right where he needs to be. the scene is different this time. he is not a spectator ; instead, he is here, now, in this moment.

around him, there is endless chatter. he imagines he would enjoy the quiet more, but this time is different -- it almost brings relief to his heart, brings a lightness to it. around him are familiar companions-- a certain forest ranger, a known eremite-- ah, there's kaveh, crying and mumbling a thousand congratulations that aren't quite coherent.

and right before him, there is you ; your hands in his, both adorned with silver bands. you look beautiful, is his first thought, and he wonders if he said it out loud, given the way you smile so brightly at him.

this is a dream. it is a beautiful one, and it is one that he hopes will come true one day.

alhaitham smiles back, kisses you with all the love in the world.

he will wake up soon. he wishes he could hold onto this dream for a little bit longer, but that's okay, because when he wakes, you'll be at his side.

chapter three , aftermath : the third dream.

"i dreamt of you."

your normal routine goes this way : annoying alarm, the impending doom of the workday, and the useless means of avoidance by burying yourself deeper into the sheets until alhaitham drags you out of bed. sometimes he kisses your head in a silent greeting, sometimes he wishes you a good morning.

this, you think, is very much new, and probably the fastest way he's ever woken you up.

"oh." you stare at the ceiling before you roll over and look at him. "good morning to you, too."

worry is your first instinct-- given the nature of his previous dreams, you do not know what to expect. the visions the dreamscape blesses him with are both nostalgic and gut-wrenching, sorrow laced with catharsis.

"good morning." like clockwork, he raises his hand, lips curling faintly when you press yours against his.

"gonna share with the class?"

"the class should practice patience." he chuckles at your mildly annoyed expression, wonders how you will react to his thoughts. "i dreamt that we got married."

you freeze at those words, eyes wide, brows knit ever so slightly as you try to comprehend the words. he says it so casually, the topic of marriage. dream or not, the mere thought of a future together for the rest of your lives brings a sense of serenity, though your expression doesn't quite reflect it at the moment.

alhaitham finds it endearing.

"i would like to remember that dream for a long time."

you shake yourself out of stupor, ignore the way your face practically feels like it's the sun itself.

"tell me more about it."

"kaveh was crying."

"okay, and?"

he hums, thoughtful.

"you looked beautiful."

"oh? sounds like a good dream."

your response is nonchalant, though it is betrayed by the blithe smile that graces your lips at the thought of what that day would be like. alhaitham's gaze is filled with an incredible fondness as he looks at you, wonders when that day will come.

"yes, it was. i'd like to make it real."

oh. you wonder how he can manage to say such a thing so casually-- one would almost think he was discussing the weather. you blink, speechless. you almost want to ask if he's joking , though you know he's entirely serious when he says that, but still--

"okay." there is no hesitation in your words. "i'll marry you, alhaitham."

he almost seems surprised himself-- a spark of shock that quickly dies down into mild relief buried in amusement.

"that isn't my official proposal."

you lace your fingers together, press a kiss against his knuckles.

"i know." your words are barely above a whisper now, almost sacred, but he hears them loud and clear. "but whenever or however you do it, i'll say yes, you know."

of course he knows. always has. he squeezes your hand before pulling you closer, lips meeting in quiet euphoria and promise.

somewhere, there is a place where dreams are deemed part of one's soul once more, unraveling and uncovering the most vulnerable parts of the spirit. in this place, alhaitham dreams once more, memories revived and revisited.

in this place, alhaitham dreams of a happily ever after with you, and someday, you will relive that dream together, and it will be wonderful.

[naffeclipse]

So, I was going through the Bounty hunter Eclipse tag because I am very normal about him as we all know, and rereading the alternative reveal of y/n's past, I was wondering how that conversation with him goes? You mentioned it's not pretty, but I imagine by this point Eclipse has shown himself worthy enough of the vigilante's (maybe not complete but most of their) trust, because in this timeline he does eventually earn a chain as a gift as well!

On one hand, the vigilante being furious is a given, because it made them panic pretty bad and it wasn't his secret to tell, as much as it wasn't actually a secret. On the other hand it obviously brings to light something that Eclipse is obviously struggling with as well. Clearly it's not the exact same, as he actually enjoys the violence and still craves power, but he is trying to make sure to not cross a certain line to not comlpletely lose what he values even above power: his brothers. In contrast, y/n's motivation is clearly a sense of justice and a desire to make up for the harm they caused, with keeping the detectives coming as a priority shortly after too.

There's lots to discuss on that front! Like y/n exclaiming how it's clear they can't trust him after all, and they knew it (despite that anger towards him probably being in part from a sense of betrayal), and also y/n demanding to know how exactly he knew about that. Or Eclipse asking why it's so different with them? Why are y/n's actions so much more forgivable to his brothers, when arguably they did much worse than him, and they still are on the other side of the law when although violent and admittedly a bit sadistic, he is technically doing things legally (Though I'm sure he toes or crosses the line frequently XD). Which is why he brought it up in the first place in the original argument. Their work is still rather similar even! Because it's not that y/n stopped slaughtering people, as they are capable of gunning down entire gangs almost single handedly. They just now do so with the objective of bettering the city instead of following the lead of the man that would have it rot to its core. Y/n might get even more heated about that because unlike Eclipse, they didn't even have an illusion of a choice. For years it was that or death. (Though they know there were some very mixed feelings about it, with how much anger they used to harbor and that might get mentioned too).

I can see that conversation going south very quickly between them, before it gets better. Maybe they sort of reach an understanding right then, or maybe they end on a sour note and have to rebuild what they had managed from the start? I feel like in this version Eclipse has more ground to claim similarities in their situations, because their ARE some very clear ones between the both of them even in the main SJ (though we know how blind Mafia Boss Eclipse was to the very crucial differences), and that would be an uncomfortable thing to have to confront for y/n I think. Even through their very justified anger towards Eclipse.

Oh and a little off topic, but I also wanted to ask! You mention that y/n does end up stealing one of Eclipse's bells to tie with the others (which I've already expressed how much I love that as symbolism heh X3) but I was curious as to what does he do with those or where he keeps them? I somehow don't see him as the type to wear them, and in main SJ he uses it as a symbol of who is not to be messed with by his gang (or rather who he considers his property which sends the same message). But as a Bounty Hunter, does he keep the ribbons tucked away in a drawer in a safehouse of his (or wherever he lives)? Or would he keep them on his person in a pocket or something as a way to keep his brothers in mind, maybe to remind himself not to go too far again lest he lose them? I'm very curious when and how exactly vigilante manages to snatch one of those haha

This got so much longer than I was expecting but what else is new XD Just goes to show how much I love the way you built these characters heh <3

Oh yesss! I have been mulling this ask over and over in my brain for a few days now, and oh, I'm so excited to get into it!

The conversation is anything but civil. Y/N is whirling from the panic and fear of almost losing their two favorite detectives and devastated by this twisted reveal of their past without their consent. Eclipse is still frustrated and bitter over the fact that his brothers still welcome Y/N with open arms.

That goes as well as you might expect, dissolving into violence and shouting. Before Y/N can run away from him, again, Eclipse catches them in his arms as they struggle to kick and punch but can't really do much but squirm and curse at him. He explains in quick, growling words that he doesn't understand. It's driving him mad that Sunny and Moonie cherish them while his brothers only look at him like a monster. It slowly stalls Y/N's struggle, but not their aching heart.

Y/N doesn't understand either. Not the detectives love for them, and not how Eclipse could give up their past so easily. Y/N is sharp and cruel when they congratulate Eclipse—he fooled them. Round of applause for him. They'll take exit stage left now and let him keep the show he stole and leave with what they can of their misplaced trust.

Eclipse doesn't want this. It hits how much he doesn't want to lose them or this tentative bridge they've built but only now does he see the blaze he just set to it.

He lets them go, without bruise or blood, and Y/N is not settled nor fine, but before they can disappear, Eclipse begs for forgiveness. His plea stops Y/N dead. They look back to him, not believing him, but they have never seen him so contrite. It... it isn't him, but here he is.

Y/N tells him no. He can't have their forgiveness, and in sharp retort just to make sure it hurts a little more, Y/N informs him that they're going to see Sun and Moon because that's still something they're struggling to come to terms with and they desperately need reassurance from those they trust wholeheartedly.

Eclipse is left standing there, boiling in place, but he is frantic in his head while watching them slip away before he can catch and squeeze them.

He doesn't know how to fix this. He doesn't know what to do. He's losing control.

He wants Y/N back but he can't do it with his previous methods of barely withheld bloodlust and his crushing grasp.

But that's a conversation for after wounds are less tender, and a more valiant effort is placed into proving his change of heart, or rather, celestial wire. He needs to gain control, and that begins with himself.

A less angsty answer here for what Eclipse does with his burgundy ribbons and bells, he has one stashed away in his inner suit jacket pocket—a cruel connection to his brothers and a grim reminder of what he's gained freedom from. The other is in his safehouse, tucked away. Y/N steals the one he keeps in his safehouse once he's truly changed for the better (a rare moment when he's caught off guard by their antics) but Eclipse does allow Y/N to have that other bell as well.

Ahhh, thank you so much and thank you for the lovely questions!!!